skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Rapid production of Plasmodium sporozoite detection paper dipstick assays using cellulose nanocrystals: Proof‐of‐concept for bio‐based, locally developed, point‐of‐care devices
Title: Rapid production of Plasmodium sporozoite detection paper dipstick assays using cellulose nanocrystals: Proof‐of‐concept for bio‐based, locally developed, point‐of‐care devices
Enhanced and rapid surveillance for diseases is critical to public health and meeting United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal for Good Health and Well‐being by allowing for targeted and accelerated prevention and control response strategies. Human malaria, caused byPlasmodiumspp. and transmitted by mosquitoes is no exception. Advances in sustainable materials provide an opportunity to improve fast, sustainable, and equitable testing assays. Here, naturally abundant polymers and biomaterials, such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and chitosan, were used to increase antibody density deposition on the assay detection line when compared to traditional free antibody deposition, and thus the sensitivity, of easily assembled rapid tests designed to detectPlasmodium vivaxinfective (sporozoite) parasites in mosquitoes, a critical indicator of malaria transmission. The immobilization of antibodies onto chitosan‐coated CNCs allowed for antigen detection with a lower number of antibodies used in each test; likewise, the immobilization allowed to directly place the CNC‐Ab without the traditionally needed blockers layer on the paper like bovine serum albumin (BSA). This bio‐based prototype of a paper‐based dipstick assay shows a promising pathway for the development of rapid disease surveillance tools using sustainable and globally available materials.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2047762
PAR ID:
10573485
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley-VCH GmbH
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Nano Select
Volume:
5
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2688-4011
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice)
    Even as novel technologies emerge and medicines advance, pathogen-transmitting mosquitoes pose a deadly and accelerating public health threat. Detecting and mitigating the spread of Anopheles stephensi in Africa is now critical to the fight against malaria, as this invasive mosquito poses urgent and unprecedented risks to the continent. Unlike typical African vectors of malaria, An. stephensi breeds in both natural and artificial water reservoirs, and flourishes in urban environments. With An. stephensi beginning to take hold in heavily populated settings, citizen science surveillance supported by novel artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may offer impactful opportunities to guide public health decisions and community-based interventions. Coalitions like the Global Mosquito Alert Consortium (GMAC) and our freely available digital products can be incorporated into enhanced surveillance of An. stephensi and other vector-borne public health threats. By connecting local citizen science networks with global databases that are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR), we are leveraging a powerful suite of tools and infrastructure for the early detection of, and rapid response to, (re)emerging vectors and diseases. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases)
    Christofferson, Rebecca C (Ed.)
    BackgroundAnopheles stephensiis an invasive malaria vector in Africa that threatens to put an additional 126 million people at risk of malaria if it continues to spread. The island nation of Mauritius is highly connected to Asia and Africa and is at risk of introduction due to this connectivity. For early detection ofAn.stephensi, the Vector Biology and Control Division under the Ministry of Health in Mauritius, leveraged a well-establishedAedesprogram, asAn.stephensiis known to shareAedeshabitats. These efforts triggered multisectoral coordination and cascading benefits of integrated vector and One Health approaches. MethodsBeginning June 2021, entomological surveys were conducted at points of entry (seaport, airport) and on ships transporting livestock in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Department, the Mauritian Port Authority and National Veterinary Services.A total of 18, 39, 723 mosquito larval surveys were respectively conducted in the airport, seaport, and other localities in Mauritius while two, 20, and 26 adult mosquito surveys were respectively conducted in the airport, seaport, and twenty-six animal assembly points. Alongside adult mosquito surveys, surveillance of vectors of veterinary importance (e.g.-Culicoidesspp.) was also carried out in collaboration with National Parks and Conservation Service and land owners. ResultsA total of 8,428 adult mosquitoes were collected and 1,844 larval habitats were positive for mosquitoes. All collected mosquitoes were morphologically identified and 151Anophelesand 339Aedesmosquitoes were also molecularly characterized. Mosquito species detected wereAedes albopictus,Anopheles arabiensis,An.coustani,An.merus,Culex quinquefasciatus,Cx.thalassiusandLutzia tigripes.Anopheles stephensiwas not detected. The One Health approach was shared with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), strengthening collaboration between Mauritius and Réunion Island on vector surveillance at entry points and insecticide resistance monitoring. The Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) was also alerted to the risk ofAn.stephensi, leading to regional efforts supporting trainings and development of a response strategy toAn.stephensibringing together stakeholders from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion Island and Seychelles. ConclusionsMauritius is a model system showing how existing public health entomology capabilities can be used to enhance vector surveillance and control and create multisectoral networks to respond to any emerging public and veterinary health vector-borne disease threat. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; (, Open Access Government)
    A comprehensive approach to integrated one health surveillance and responseSurveillance data plays a crucial role in understanding and responding to emerging infectious diseases; here, we learn why adopting a One Health surveillance approach to EIDs can help to protect human, animal, and environmental health. Over 75% of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) affecting humans are zoonotic diseases with animal hosts, which can be transmitted by waterborne, foodborne, vector-borne, or air-borne pathways. (7) Early detection is important and allows for a rapid response through preventive and control measures. However, early detection of EIDs is hindered by several obstacles, such as climate change, which can alter habitats, leading to shifts in the distribution of disease- carrying vectors like mosquitoes and ticks. This can result in diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Lyme disease becoming more common in areas with established transmission or spreading to new areas entirely. (4) Environmental changes such as deforestation and urbanization disrupt ecosystems, increasing the likelihood of zoonotic disease spillover from wildlife to humans. In addition to working at the interface of these changes, detection and tracking of EIDs also requires sharing and standardization of complex data and integrating processes across different regions and health systems. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, PLOS Pathogens)
    Higgins, Matthew K. (Ed.)
    Immunity against malaria depends on germinal center (GC)-derived antibody responses that are orchestrated by T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Emerging data show that the regulatory cytokine IL-10 plays an essential role in promoting GC B cell responses during both experimental malaria and virus infections. Here we investigated the cellular source and temporal role of IL-10, and whether IL-10 additionally signals to CD4 T-cells to support anti- Plasmodium humoral immunity. Distinct from reports of virus infection, we found that IL-10 was expressed by conventional, Foxp3-negative effector CD4 T cells and functioned in a B cell-intrinsic manner only during the first 96 hours of Plasmodium infection to support humoral immunity. The critical functions of IL-10 manifested only before the orchestration of GC responses and were primarily localized outside of B cell follicles. Mechanistically, our studies showed that the rapid and transient provision of IL-10 promoted B cell expression of anti-apoptotic factors, MHC class II, CD83, and cell-cell adhesion proteins that are essential for B cell survival and interaction with CD4 T cells. Together, our data reveal temporal features and mechanisms by which IL-10 critically supports humoral immunity during blood-stage Plasmodium infection, information that may be useful for developing new strategies designed to lessen the burden of malaria. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Nucleic Acids Research)
    Abstract Plasmodium falciparum causes most malaria deaths. Its developmental transitions and environmental adaptation are partially regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Plasmodium falciparum GCN5 (PfGCN5) is an epigenetic regulator that acetylates lysines and can also bind to acetylated lysine residues on histones via its bromodomain (BRD). Here, we showed that PfGCN5 was essential for parasite transmission and survival in human blood and mosquitoes. PfGCN5 regulated genes important for metabolism and development and its BRD was required at euchromatic gene promoters for their proper expression and for acetylation of the variant histone Pf H2B.Z. However, PfGCN5 was most abundant in heterochromatin and loss of the PfGCN5 BRD de-repressed heterochromatic genes and increased levels of acetylated Pf H2B.Z in heterochromatin. The PfGCN5 BRD-binding compound L-45 phenocopied deletion of the PfGCN5 BRD, identifying PfGCN5 as a promising drug target for BRD inhibitors. Thus, PfGCN5 appears to directly contribute to activating euchromatic promoters, but PfGCN5 is also critical for maintaining repressive heterochromatin structure. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email